The invention relates to a non-pneumatic, structurally supported tire or tire/wheel combination. More particularly, the invention relates to a non-pneumatic tire that supports a load with its structural components and has pneumatic tire-like performance capabilities to serve as a replacement for pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire has capabilities in load carrying, road shock absorption, and force transmission (accelerating, stopping, and steering) that make it the preferred choice for use on many vehicles, most notably, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, and trucks. These capabilities have also been highly advantageous in the development of the automobile and other motor vehicles. Pneumatic tire capabilities in shock absorption are also useful in other applications, for example, in carts carrying sensitive medical or electronic equipment.
Conventional non-pneumatic alternatives, for example, solid tires, spring tires, and cushion tires lack the performance advantages of pneumatic tires. In particular, solid and cushion tires rely on compression of the ground-contacting portion for load support. These types of tires can be heavy and stiff and lack the shock absorbing capability of pneumatic tires. When made more resilient, conventional non-pneumatic tires lack the load support or endurance of pneumatic tires. Accordingly, except in limited situations, known non-pneumatic tires have not found wide use as substitutes for pneumatic tires.
A non-pneumatic tire/wheel having performance characteristics similar to those of pneumatic tires would overcome the various deficiencies in the art and would be a welcome improvement.